Finkler's free soured by fans' flares

Ben Mckay

A vibrant match between two heavyweights, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers, decided in the last minute of the game when a Gui Finkler free kick sailed into the corner to earn Victory a point.

The high tempo, attacking football was as good as anything the A-League has produced, with both managers praising the match.

Pity about the scenes from the hardcore elements then.

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First, Victory's major supporter group, the North Terrace, declared they would not be showing up, leaving one end of the largely full stadium without a voice.

Then news of a brawl between rival hardcore fans in Melbourne's CBD on Saturday afternoon reverberated around the stadium.

When kick off arrived, the pulsating atmosphere generated by visiting Wanderers fans - who outsang the Victory supporters all night - was soured when the "Red and Black Bloc" fired flares in the away corner.

At least five flares, each punctuating the air with a loud bang before filling it with smoke, led to security leading individuals out of the stadium.

Social media quickly filled with contrasting reaction.

Football tragics lapped up the atmosphere but many caught in the action were appalled.

Police reported four injuries and one hospitalisation from the brawl, and suggestions came from AAMI Park that families were leaving owing to the Western Sydney fans' behaviour.

Melbourne Victory boss Kevin Muscat focused on the on-field action but welcomed the spirit from the 22,133 in attendance.

"It was a cracking game of football played at a very high intensity and all the players deserve a lot of credit for that," Muscat said.

"A couple of very bad decisions, good strikes on goal, saves, there was everything tonight."

"There's no doubt that the atmosphere in the stadium tonight was special... off the field and on the field, I thought it was a good game of football."

Wanderers boss Popovic agreed, acknowledging the on and off field tension.

"We've only been in the league a short time... but certainly you can feel there's a rivalry in the stadium with the fans which is great," he said.

"It feels a big game and I'm sure the rivalry will just keep getting bigger and bigger."